Lovely written. But so Non German. 😉
First Franz could not take it without the paper work. No guy left from Alket company? Who can sign the documents.
Next he had to get a Marschbefehl / marching order. The only way to get fuel. And amo. And food. There was no amo at Alkett and so he had to get it via the army channels.
The Kettenhunde / MP stood everywhere and checked documents. A Stug without liscence plate or unit markings…… suspicious. May be a deserter, spy, a thief. Without written marching order the next lantern may be yours Franz.
Even the Hauptmann could find himself tried and sentenced. For looting , “Aneignung von Wehrmachtseigentum”.
Good that Franz had his own MG, Alkett rarely provided the small stuff.
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As professional historian I worked in some of the 50 years war end Museum projects. Archive Research in Berlin, Potsdam and Freiburg, interviews, heaps of books. The acting of the officials was extremely strange. They blew up stores instead of opening them to the soldiers and peoples. No written order , no amo or food.
And many peoples got killed. Karstadt Hermannplatz was a large Depot in 45. They blew it up with many civilians inside that wanted food.
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